BBQ tip **Smokenator Update**

[Steppenwolf]

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Quick way to get that charcoal going? 

Bought myself a Weber grill after I swore I never would. (more about that in another post later this week). Found out that it Burns down charcoal briquettes extremely fast and I ran short. Saw
This on YouTube

Used the burner of my gasser with rack removed. Took about 4 minutes to get it going.

Btw anyone ever try out the Smokinater 1000? 

[GRD 4 3L]

I also use the charcoal starter and it is fantastic.  Just a piece of paper crumpled up underneath to light it up and away it goes without fail!

I have, however, stayed away from briquettes because it burns way too fast, the ash creates a physical thermal barrier (less heat to the grill), and leaves a lot of ash remains.

I prefer the "lump" charcoals which is actual pieces of wood.  It may take extra 5 minutes to get it started but it is slow burning therefore lasts much longer but heat is very intense.  Since lump charcoal is almost all carbon, there's very little ash.  Once I figured this out, never went back to briquettes.

Reading the Smokenator 1000 site showed me how "incorrectly" I have been slow cooking on my grill!  Now I am better equipped to create kick-ass barbeque!

[Willkat98]

Looking forward to reading your Weber story, Stepp

[Steppenwolf]

Looking forward to reading your Weber story, Stepp

I was tossing around getting a new rig but I couldn't decide what I wanted. A "true" smoker instead of using my offset? I did want something that had an adjustable great; after all I grill far more than smoking low and slow. But my offsett takes a ton of charcoal if I want it real hot,which means a ton of briquettes for a very short cook. After looking at items in person (internet pictures and info on BBQs can be extremely misleading) I noted how they've cheapened the integrity of many of the products unless you want to go well above what I wanted to spend. Even the replacement for my old Sliver SMoker is a piece of crap.
Which is one item I kept coming back to. There's absolutely nothing wrongwith my offset grill. I've taken resonable care of it, and it was manufacture with better integrity than what's out there now for under $350. Not to mention that I nkowit very well.
So I was wondering how hot a Webber could get, can it match my gasser? Much rather use charcoal than gas. I see there are several fiarly simple mods to get it hot if the standard version wouldn't do it. Even if I swore years ago I'd never get a Webber.
Then I saw the Smokenator 1000 and that reallyintrigued me.

Smokenator Setup

Baby Backs on the smokinator

Smokenator Babybacks

So I ran out and got a Webber Gold and ordered the smokinator (very few stores in very few areas carry it, you have to get it online). I was hoping to have tried out the smokinator 1000 by now but just hasn't worked out that way. Looks like the earliest will be Sunday.

[Steppenwolf]

.....
I prefer the "lump" charcoals which is actual pieces of wood.  It may take extra 5 minutes to get it started but it is slow burning therefore lasts much longer but heat is very intense.  Since lump charcoal is almost all carbon, there's very little ash.  Once I figured this out, never went back to briquettes.

I don't have any good reason to stick with briquettes except that I jusy haven't pulled the trigger on trying out lump. Everytime I have a cook longer than 6 hours I think about it, the amount ashes on briquettes get to the point of chocking out the fire. I have always heard that lump is the way to go. Isn't every cook slightly different with the varying size and grade of the lump.? The only thing that holds me back is the increased cost and mostly having to go through the learningcurve of using Lumps.
BTW, have you used the Smokenator?

[Steppenwolf]

OK. I got the Smokenator set up iny Webber. Just going to test it out on some baby backs.
You put about 50 unlit briquettes inside along with about 5 chunks (mesquite). Only the chunks need to be only about 1 1/2 inches in size.

Just in case I'm running my offset as well. With both beef and baby back ribs., hot links and pineapple wedges.

[Steppenwolf]

Using tap-a-talk. Hope the pics work out. I'm about three hours into my cook and running a learning curve on controlling the heat. I've added a few briquettes of charcoal for the last two hours and I probably should not have done that. Running up to about 240 at the grill. Funny, the temperature up at the top of the dome runs about 20° higher than at the grill.

[Steppenwolf]

4 1/2 hours into the cook. Took out the water dish so it would be dry enough for the BBQ sauce to cook on.  Has the ribs wrapped in foil for 1 1/2 hours prior to this. They're definitely almost to the pint of falling off the bone. Again, because u wasn't confident of the results I cut the ribs in half. It wasn't necessary.

[Steppenwolf]

All of this in normal Bakersfield, Ca. weather.

[GRD 4 3L]

Everytime I have a cook longer than 6 hours I think about it, the amount ashes on briquettes get to the point of chocking out the fire. I have always heard that lump is the way to go. Isn't every cook slightly different with the varying size and grade of the lump.? The only thing that holds me back is the increased cost and mostly having to go through the learningcurve of using Lumps.
BTW, have you used the Smokenator?

1.  Never used Smokenator (I did not, and still do not, barbeque regularly; only occasional steaks and ribs).  But I use lumps whenever the family goes to the beach/park.
2.  Lump will DEFINITELY reduce the amount of ash
3.  Lump will DEFINITELY last longer (therefore need less = more value for $ = equivalent to briquettes).

As for the size & grade of the lumps, this will have to go into more depth (using my ancient Korean lump charcoal secret knowledge).

1.  Lump charcoal (from hereon referred to as LC) made from Dense wood is best.
2.  Dense wood that has been dead & dried naturally is even better (the older the dead tree, more prized)
3.  The size and shape of the lump charcoal is important since it defines heat output as well as duration of output.  Large flat (size of a poker card) = high output but short duration.  Small but roundish (golf ball) = medium output but longer duration.  Anything smaller will burn faster.
4.  Small sized LCs will burn fast and quick (good for starting and adding little bit of burn time)
5.  Large size LCs will take longer to catch fire but will burn nice and long & consistently
6.  High quality Korean/Japanese LCs are about 1~1.5" in diameter and about 4~5" long.
7.  A bag of mass produced LC has a MIX of large/small pieces and this cannot be avoided.  When you use them, watch for chunks of real wood vs. chunks of what looks like pieces of furniture.  You can guess which one is better.
8.  You can easily sort out the large chunks from the small pieces and if desired you can cut large chunks into smaller pieces for better control.

You will not regret using the LCs.  You may pay more up front, but you will use less of it therefore end up costing about the same per cook.

Even my wife insists on using the LCs after I purchased briquettes (before switching permanently to LC).  Since then she has FORBIDDEN the used of briquettes; it was a painful lesson indeed . . . and hence permanent switch to LC . . .

[Steppenwolf]

Thanks for the info, I'm glad you posted it. It's good to have an idea what to look for and expect.
After your last post I did buy some LC on Friday from Lowes. I don't know the brand name off the top of my head.
I haven't used it yet. Since this was my first run with the Webber and Smokenator I wanted to use charcoal I'm familiar with.

So, If I pour LC into my chimney to light some chunks will light quickly while others may not be ready yet? If I pour out the chimney and see a fair amount of unlit lumps I should just give it some time before putting on the food items to make sure it's all lit?

[Steppenwolf]

I just realized that I didn't post the end result of the smokinator. The fire pretty much ran down after about 5 1/2 hours with enough residual heat to hold the ribs about 40 minutes. I could have put it about 6 or 7 mmore briquettes when I started or added lit briquettes (one at a time) anytime during the cook.
Fortunately with Baby backs 5 1/2 hours of plenty of time. They were very, very good in taste and texture and more evenly cooked than my offset (no surprise there).

I still hava a pic on my iPhone that I'll post next.

[Steppenwolf]

One pic is when I kept the rack, cut in half, in the kettle for 30 min while I tended to unloaded my other cooker.
Second pic is all the finished products. Only the split rack of baby backs was cooked in the kettle. The rest
Was done on the offset. Not shown:  grilled pineapple.

[GRD 4 3L]

Those look awesome!  My mouth is drooling . . .

Samsung Galaxy S II using Tapatalk

[Steppenwolf]

Okay back to the charcoal lump. Is this supposed to pop like firecrackers? My first try.